The Noida Authority has terminated the services of a junior engineer following the death of 27-year-old software engineer in the city after his car plunged into a water-filled pit at a construction site in Sector 150 on Saturday.
In an official statement Sunday night, the authority said its Chief Executive Officer, Lokesh M, has ordered strict action in the case and directed the immediate termination of the services of junior engineer, Naveen Kumar, of the Noida Traffic Cell. The authority has also issued show-cause notices to other officials and employees responsible for traffic management in and around Sector 150.
The CEO will also probe the construction activities of the developer, Lotus, and has directed a review of safety arrangements at the site, it stated. Satish Pal, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Noida Authority, said an investigation is underway to determine responsibility. “The investigation will reveal whose land it was, to whom it was allotted, and who was responsible for its maintenance. That road is in an area that is not yet a fully developed sector,” he said, assuring action after the inquiry.
Yuvraj Mehta, a resident of Tata Eureka Park society, died in the early hours of Saturday after his car fell into an over 20-feet-deep, water-filled pit dug for the basement of an under-construction building in Sector 150.
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Police said Mehta, who worked with a Gurugram-based company, was returning home from work late at night when the accident occurred amid dense fog. His body was recovered after a search operation involving teams from the fire department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police.
An eyewitness, a delivery agent, claimed that rescue efforts were delayed and suggested that Mehta’s life could have been saved if action had been taken more promptly.
The victim’s family has also alleged gross administrative negligence, claiming that timely intervention could have saved Yuvraj’s life as he struggled for two hours.
His father, Rajkumar Mehta, said his son struggled in the water for nearly two hours. “My son was struggling to save himself. My son was crying out for help, asking people to help him, but most of the crowd was just watching. Some people were making videos. My son struggled for 2 hours to save his life. The officials and staff present were unable to save him. They did not have any divers. There is negligence on the part of the administration in this entire matter,” he alleged, demanding strict action and improved safety arrangements to prevent such incidents in the future.
Police lodged an FIR against two real estate developers on a complaint by the victim’s family after residents staged protests, alleging inadequate barricading and a lack of reflectors at the accident-prone site. However, police have denied negligence in the rescue operation.
Joint Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narain Mishra described the incident as “very tragic” and said the police stand with the victim’s family. He said rescue efforts were initiated immediately with the help of fire brigade ladders, cranes, searchlights and a makeshift boat, adding that visibility was near zero at the time.
Following protests, the Noida Authority has installed barricades at the spot.
The authority also stated that negligence of safety norms at construction sites would not be tolerated, and that all departments have been instructed to re-inspect safety measures at ongoing construction projects in their respective areas to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
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